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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. object — an aim
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. plane — a tool
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. object — to protest
  7. tear — from crying
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. tear — from crying
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. roll — a cake
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. roll — a list
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tube — the underground
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. branch — a division
  19. object — a thing
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. tube — a container
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. fork — to eat with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com